Dreaming about a hippopotamus: the direct answer
Dream interpretation is not prediction and not diagnosis. This article separates what sleep research observes from what popular interpretation associates with the theme.
Dreaming about a hippopotamus is not an omen of an accident, an attack or a powerful enemy. It is a relatively rare dream, since few people see the animal up close, and so it usually comes from a documentary, a trip to the zoo, a cartoon or even a stuffed toy.
When the hippo attacks or chases, the scene usually goes with the feeling of a heavy pressure, hard to get around. When it is quiet in the water, the mood is one of calm, weight and stored-up strength.
Read also: Dreaming about an elephant and Dreaming about an alligator.
Why such a big animal appears in the dream
The threat simulation hypothesis, by Antti Revonsuo, proposes that dreaming works as a rehearsal of dangers in a safe setting. Chases and animal attacks are among the scenes this hypothesis tries to explain. The hippo, enormous, fast for its size and unpredictable near water, is a natural character for that kind of rehearsal.
Research on continuity between waking life and dreaming shows that what we see and feel during the day returns at night. A viral video of a yawning hippo, a report about animals that escaped or a week in which everything seems too heavy can shape the dream.
Sources: Revonsuo, The reinterpretation of dreams, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2000; Schredl and Hofmann, Continuity between waking activities and dream activities, Consciousness and Cognition, 2003.
Psychoanalysis, symbols and faith: another look at dreaming about a hippopotamus
In Freud's psychoanalysis. The dream, for Freud, takes leftovers from the day before, even banal ones, and uses condensation to join several ideas in one image. A hippo can gather the slowness of a process, the weight of a tired body and the fright of a fight. Freud would divide the scene into parts (the water, the open mouth, the size) and ask what each recalls.
In Jung's psychology. In Man and His Symbols, the animal represents instinctive nature. In Jung's key, a creature that lives between water and land, heavy and at the same time protective of its young, can be read as an instinctive force asking for recognition, and not only flight.
In symbols and faith. In the Dictionary of Symbols, Chevalier and Gheerbrant tell that, in ancient Egypt, the hippo that devoured crops was consecrated to Set, the evil god, and the state kept sacred harpooners to hunt it. The female, however, was venerated as Taweret, who assisted mothers in childbirth. In the Bible, in Job 40:15-24, God shows Job Behemoth, which many translations associate with the hippopotamus: a brute force that only the Creator masters.
Putting the two readings together. Science shows why such a big animal appears: threat rehearsal and an echo of the day. The traditions recall that the same strength can destroy or protect. Noticing which side the hippo was on helps you choose the meaning.
Sources: Freud, Die Traumdeutung, 1900; Jung (ed.), Man and His Symbols; Chevalier and Gheerbrant, A Dictionary of Symbols.
The most common versions of this dream
| Scene | What it usually comes with |
|---|---|
| A hippo running after you | A feeling of being pressed by something big and slow to solve |
| A hippo attacking, fierce or biting | Fear of an explosive reaction, conflict with someone who seems calm |
| A hippo in the water, in the river or the sea | Emotions hidden under the surface, a calm that may change |
| A baby hippo or a hippo in the mud | Tenderness, a wish for rest, care for those who depend on you |
| A giant or dead hippo | The weight of a situation that seems enormous, or the end of a pressure |
If the escape is what stayed with you, also read dreams about being chased.
When the dream deserves professional attention
Most of the time, dreaming about a hippopotamus indicates no problem at all. If the attack repeats for weeks, the fright wakes you in the middle of the night or fear of sleeping begins to appear, it is worth talking to a health professional, because frequent nightmares have treatment. See how to have fewer nightmares.
Source: Morgenthaler et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2018.
What dream books say
Popular dream books usually give the hippo a fixed meaning, such as strength, protection or obstacle. Freud called this kind of reading "decoding": each image is swapped for another according to a code, as if the dream were an encrypted message the same for everyone.
For him, the method was insufficient, because it ignores the dreamer. A hippo can come from a cartoon the child watches every morning or from a boss who seems calm and explodes without warning, and only the person can say which of the two makes sense.
Source: Freud, Die Traumdeutung, 1900.
Popular beliefs about this dream
In popular reading, the hippo usually symbolizes strength, stability and protection, as well as patience. Being chased would be a sign of a problem that grows from being set aside; the baby, of care and family; the animal in the water, of emotions held in. These are cultural interpretations, good for reflection, and not predictions. See dream meanings according to science and culture.
Sources
- Revonsuo A. The reinterpretation of dreams: An evolutionary hypothesis of the function of dreaming. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00004015
- Schredl M, Hofmann F. Continuity between waking activities and dream activities. Consciousness and Cognition, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-8100(02)00072-7
- Morgenthaler TI et al. Position Paper for the Treatment of Nightmare Disorder in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Paper. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2018. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.7178
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams (Die Traumdeutung), 1900. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66048
- Jung CG (ed.). Man and His Symbols, 1964. Portuguese edition consulted: O homem e seus símbolos, Nova Fronteira/HarperCollins Brasil. https://www.skoob.com.br/book/8435
- Chevalier J, Gheerbrant A. A Dictionary of Symbols (Dictionnaire des symboles). Portuguese edition consulted: Dicionário de símbolos, José Olympio/Record. https://www.record.com.br/products/dicionario-de-simbolos
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to dream about a hippopotamus running after you?
It is a threat dream, common in phases of pressure. The animal's size usually translates a situation that seems too big. It does not predict real danger.
What does it mean to dream about a hippopotamus attacking or biting?
The scene usually goes with fear of a sudden reaction, yours or from someone close. If the attack repeats and disturbs your sleep, it is worth talking to a health professional.
Is dreaming about a baby hippopotamus good?
It usually comes with tenderness and calm. In ancient Egypt, Taweret, the female hippo, was protector of mothers in childbirth, according to the Dictionary of Symbols. It is a cultural reading, not a promise.
What does it mean to dream about a hippopotamus in the water?
The animal almost entirely submerged recalls what lies below the surface: held-in emotions, a calm that may change. Often the image comes straight from a documentary.
Does the hippopotamus appear in the Bible?
Many translations associate with the hippopotamus the Behemoth of Job 40:15-24, a creature of enormous strength that only God masters. In the reading of faith, dreaming about it can invite reflection on limits and trust. It is not prediction.
